Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-12-17

OSTRICH farming is becoming a most successful branch of industry in Califor- his, and ss it is being proven that what succeeds in Californis, is adapted for Arizona, the question arises, why cannot oetrIch culture be carried on here? The climate is even more suitable, and ss they are fed principally on green alfalfa, corn, and young grass, il would be very little expense to keep them in good con- dition. The great drawback heretofore, has been in getting the birds to this country; it has been a very expensive undertaking. The shipments hsve been made from South Africa. The fitting of 6 ship is large expense. every bird being encssed in a separate box padded on all sides. The time occupied ID bringing the ostriches from South A. rics to California, is about eleven weeks, and during storms or very rough westh- CT the birds are frequently thrown out of their boxes. thus breaking their necks. The first shipment to this country land ed twenty-two. out of two hundred birds, a. the Anaheina farm in Southern Cali fornis. There are two breeding seasons in a year, and hen will lay from twelve to fifteen eggs and hatch them, but by using incubstors, twenty-five to thirty eggs may be obtained from one pair each season. Thus the greatest difficulty and expense will now be obvisted, as young birds can DOW bs obtained in California, st very much cheaper price, and with such rapid increase, one pair of birds would soon yield 8 handsome income to some wide awake AriEoniAn wko will undertake the enterprise.
 SENATOR STEWART, of Nevada, intro duced into the Senate last Monday the following bill in regard to irrigation, which is of vital importance to the peo- ple of the Pacific Coast, and more es- pecialIy to the people of Arizona:
 Be it enacted, etc, that the public lands where irrigation IS necessary or desirable, shall be divided by lines drawn between the lands which are so situated thst irrigation is practicable and the lands for which water cannot be obtained for the purpose of irrigs- ton.
 Sec. 2-All places which can be used for reservoirs to store water for the pur- poses Of irrigation should be surveyed and reserved for that purpose.
 Sec. 8-The right of way for ditches and canals for the purposes of irrigation on the public lands IS hereby reserved, and all sales of public lends hereafter made shall be subject 10 this reserva- tion, provided. however, that If damage is caused by the destruction of improve ments made upon lands in obtaining g right of way for such ditches and canals, compensation shall be made for the &C., tusl damage to the improvements. and DO more.
 Sec. 4-No title shall pass by any deed or patent from the United States which shall prevent the construction of irrigBt- ing ditches and canals upon payment of the actual damages to the improve ments, to be assessed in the same msn- ner by the local courts ss damages gre assessed where private property is taken for pubic use.
 Sec. 5-The surveys provided for ID this set shall precede all other surveys ID each locality where water osn be ob- tained from any lake, river, stream or spring for irrigation, and DO land shall be surveyed or sold where irrigation is desirable until the water supply IS first sscertsiDed, the reservoir is selected and reserved and the land capable of irrigation segregated and set apart from the land where irrigation is impossible.
 Sec. 6-The Commissioner of the Gen ersl Land Office shall make rules and regulations to carry this act into effect. If the above should become law and adequate appropriations made from the idle surplus in the United States Treas ury, the immense stretches of mesa lands which lie uncultiysted on all sides of us, could be utilized, and farms, orch ards and vineyards would spring up in all directions.